The 'ohana brought in Michael Potts, a consultant from California, to lead the workshop. Potts was on Maui working on a revision of his book The Independent Home, which features several houses in Hawaii. He spent two days with the 'ohana discussing challenges and solutions for creating a successful community where water is scarce and the electrical grid is far away.

"This is a very exciting opportunity - to work from scratch building a new community and to do it the right way from the start," said Potts. "It is important for all of us that you succeed."

Kahikinui once had flowing waterways that disappeared along with the native sandalwood forest in the 1800s. The settlers want to bring back the rain by restoring the forest ecosystem over the next several generations.

The first day of the workshop focused on water, including supply and use. One innovative water source planned at Kahikinui is a "fog-drip" system that captures water out of the passing low clouds. Three test sites monitored last year have demonstrated that the design works effectively.

Potts discussed other water-supply options, such as catchment and wells. He described how to use less water (with composting toilets) and how to use it more than once (with graywater systems).

On the second day of the workshop Potts and the 'ohana installed a photovoltaic system, which draws energy from sunlight. This one uses new "solar shingles," a first for Maui. They built the system on Mo Moler's hale, a restored water tank which has been converted into a comfortable home using stones from the area and some new and used building materials.

Moler is the caretaker of the area along with Aimoku and Lehua Pali.

They're using the land as a temporary base-camp for the overall resettlement of the ahupua'a.

"We learn from our ancestors to use the materials from the land and work with the elements," said Moler. "At the same time, we want to apply modern technologies to make a model blending the best of traditional and future ways."

The solar shingles, manufactured by UniSolar Inc, were provided through a donation from the Department of Energy. Interstate Battery systems gave a discounton the batteries, and Potts himself donated the inverters, voltage regulators, and other parts.

Robert Hale of Kaupo provided invaluable assistance. Hale, who does most of the off-grid energy installations in East Maui, has previously donated solar panels to the 'ohana.

Several soon-to-be settlers of Kahikinui helped out, getting hands-on experience for their own hales in the near future.

The new photovoltaic system will serve as an educational demonstration for all future Kahikinui settlers. This July the Department of Hawaiian Homelands will probably award approximately 120 new Kahikinui parcels, ranging up to 15 acres in size.

Other energy resources, including plentiful wind, were also discussed as part of the overall solution to the needs of the community there. Maui Tomorrow and Don Smith, a consultant who has been working with Ka 'Ohana O Kahikinui for many years, coordinated the workshop.